This item was discussed jointly with the minute number 37.           

Cabinet received a report of the Head of Community and Environmental Services and the Head of Service Transformation.

Councillor Watkin set out the context that there were massive financial challenges facing the council.  The commercial strategy and Watford 2020 were there to see if the council could be smarter and more business-like in the way in which it operated.  The aim was to increase revenue and reduce costs in the context of what that would mean for residents.  There would be review and assessment then determination as to whether the council was operating effectively and were fees and charges reflecting the service.  Any commercial suggestions may be passed to Watford Commercial Services Ltd if appropriate and if they were likely to generate a financial return.  The council had already been trading and the commercial strategy was pulling this together into a cohesive document.  Watford 2020 was the underpinning activity to enable the council to identify and represent what the council would have to look to be in the future.  There was a process to look at every department to see what could be done smarter and better.  The work was well under way, and it was expected there would be more specific information in 2018.

The Mayor emphasised that it should not be seen as just a cost cutting exercise, it was about doing business better and it was important that members were on board, particularly when it came to implementation. Councillor Watkin pointed out that there was also an underpinning human resources strategy to ensure the council had the right people in place with the right skills.

The Head of Service Transformation explained that the Watford 2020 report set out the vision and design principles for the current work.  There would be a report back to Cabinet in March to show the emerging findings.  The commercial strategy was the first of three supporting strategies which underpinned the current work, the ICT and people strategies would be coming to future Cabinet meetings.

In response to a question from Councillor Bell, the Head of Service Transformation explained that the discovery work was being carried out currently with the findings being reported to Cabinet in March 2018, this would include the first proposals on the opportunities available.

The Managing Director highlighted how important both strategies were and how they would underpin the business going forward.  In signing off Watford 2020 including the design principles this would influence the look of services and the corporate plan.  The commercial strategy presented an overview and there would be specific progress by the end of the financial year.  The commercial strategy would also inform budget setting and the policies would drive recommendations going forward.

RESOLVED –

1.        That the Commercial Strategy, attached at Appendix A, subject to any amendments at Cabinet, is approved for adoption by the Council.

2.        That any future minor amendments are delegated to the Head of Community & Environmental Services or the Head of Service Transformation in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Resources and Customer Services